raves and reviews

the sweet scoop

the sweet scoop

Sweets lovers rejoice! It’s time to skip dinner and head straight to dessert. One of NYC’s most sensational restaurants, Thomas Keller’s Salon at Per Se, just introduced a five-course dessert-only tasting menu.

Some may say that the $65 pre-fixe price tag (service included) is a bit much to spend on sweets, but the succession of inventive, expertly crafted confections from one of the country’s greatest culinary teams is far from your typical desserts tasting.

The menu lineup from celebrated pastry chef Elwyn Boyles will change daily, and includes inspired dishes such as popcorn-cola with sundried raisins and buttered popcorn sherbet, poached meringue with coconut, Champagne mango and toasted coriander ice cream, and chef Keller’s signature cinnamon-sugared brioche doughnuts with silky cappuccino semifreddo. If you’re not pining for an entire sugar-filled series, the Salon also offers five à la carte desserts each night. How sweet it is.

One of the year’s most anticipated cookbooks has finally arrived—and just in time for holiday baking. Pastry Chef Christina Tosi unveiled a collection of her recipes from beloved NYC bakery, Momofuku Milk Bar, which she opened with David Chang in early 2009. An offshoot of Chang’s acclaimed Momofukurestaurant, this quirky pastry shop serves up whimsical confections and dairy-based desserts at four locations (3 in Manhattan, 1 in Brooklyn) around the Big Apple.

Now, for the first time ever, the recipes behind Tosi’s treasured treats are available to bakers everywhere. Just imagine being able to recreate wildly popular signature desserts, like Compost Cookies, Crack Pie, Cereal Milk Ice Cream, Apple Pie Cake Truffles, Cinnamon Bun Pie and more, in your very own kitchen. How sweet it is!

Momofuku Milk Bar is a gorgeous cookbook filled with 256 pages of funny and approachable narrative by Tosi, mouthwatering imagery, behind-the-scenes moments and dozens of sweet recipes for novice home cooks and skilled pastry mavens alike. There’s even a selection of savory eats, including Kimchi & Blue Cheese Croissants and Chinese Sausage Focaccia. With sinfully delicious recipes for nearly any occasion, Momofuku Milk Barwill make a sweet addition to your cookbook collection—and is a great gift idea for food lovers, too. Tip: Be sure you have an accurate kitchen scale, as many of the ingredients are measured in grams.

Got Crack? Crack Pie is my all-time favorite Milk Bar delicacy

Crack Pie. Anyone who has bitten into this addicting Momofuku best-seller understands its cheeky name. Once you start eating the rich, cookie-crusted, salty and sweet pie, you’ll be intensely pining for more. Get your fix with the recipe below:

FillingPosition rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Whisk both sugars, milk powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Add melted butter and whisk until blended. Add cream, then egg yolks and vanilla and whisk until well blended. Pour filling into crust. Bake pie 30 minutes (filling may begin to bubble). Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Continue to bake pie until filling is brown in spots and set around edges but center still moves slightly when pie dish is gently shaken, about 20 minutes longer. Cool pie 2 hours in pie dish on rack. Chill uncovered overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; keep chilled.

Sift powdered sugar lightly over top of pie. Cut pie into wedges and serve cold.